


The Thunder of Your Heart

by MenacingPlatypus



Series: Three Sides of the Coin [4]
Category: The Last Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Intimacy, M/M, Post Season 4, little angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:48:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24735667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MenacingPlatypus/pseuds/MenacingPlatypus
Summary: Uhtred and Eadith look forward to Finan's homecoming. Finan looks forward to returning to where he belongs.
Relationships: Eadith/Finan (The Last Kingdom), Eadith/Finan/Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Eadith/Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Finan/Uhtred of Bebbanburg
Series: Three Sides of the Coin [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1783555
Comments: 12
Kudos: 32





	The Thunder of Your Heart

It has been three days since Uhtred’s injury and Eadith is on the verge of putting him out of his misery herself.

Eadith understands now why the healer, Osric, had winced just slightly when he saw who was wounded. The Lord of Bebbanburg is hardy, he doesn’t complain about the pain, but he certainly complains about being stuck in bed.

“He’s healing well,” Osric assures her.

“Let’s hope he survives then,” Eadith replies drily looking sideways to the scowling patient and she can see the healer try to hide his smile. Thanking him for his efforts, she dismisses him and when the door closes behind him, she whirls to face her lord.

“You shouldn’t be rude to that man. He’s saved your life.” She scolds, going over to the bed.

“I would have survived without his fretting.”

Perching on the edge of the mattress beside him, Eadith raises an eyebrow. “I suppose we’ll never know. Although I meant it when I said there was more time.” Uhtred raises his eyebrows back and grins suddenly. He grabs her around the waist and hauls Eadith into his lap. He hides his discomfort well, but she sees the wince and makes sure to lean into his left side.

“Have they left yet?” He murmurs into her hair. Tracing his hands with a slow-moving finger Eadith answers.

“Yes, they wanted to beat the storm to the next burgh. Urgent business has called the Uncle South and they know our answer.”

“Mhm,” Uhtred mumbles against her hair. “May that be the last of them.” His hands travel from her lap up her torso and come to a rest beneath her breasts. His thumbs stroke the fabric as he moves his mouth from her hair to her ear. His teeth graze the outer shell and she shivers against him. Resisting the urge to close her eyes and melt into him, Eadith starts to pull away.

“Uhtred, there are a hundred things to do,” Her efforts are weak though and he senses it. He pulls her more firmly into his lap and returns his lips to her neck.

“If I am to be stuck in this room for another miserable day, you can be stuck in here with me for a few minutes.”

Eadith smirks and turns to tease him, “Only a few minutes, aye?” Chuckling, Uhtred places his hand on her jaw and pulls her face towards him. The kiss is demanding and leaves Eadith gasping. For a moment she truly considers abandoning all resistance, gathering her skirts and sitting astride Uhtred. He could be inside of her in a handful of motions. The thought sends another shiver down her spine and for a moment she leans into him. Her teeth capture his bottom lip and bite none too gently. Uhtred ‘s hands tighten on her and one moves to her breast. His fingertips ghosting over her nipple. With a sigh she releases his lip and soothes it with a gentle press of her mouth. “I have to go,” she breathes against his cheek.

Uhtred groans and lowers his forehead to her shoulder. “If you insist.”

Eadith places a hand on either side of Uhtred’s face and lifts his eyes to hers. “You will stay in here and rest.”

“Perhaps,” he says with a slight smile and a lazy shrug. Rolling her eyes, Eadith places a final kiss on his forehead.

“Rest, Finan will be home soon.”

Uhtred’s face turns more somber. “They are late.”

“Not that late,” Eadith responds more lightly than she feels. The storm had been gathering all morning, Eadith can feel the humidity on her skin, making her dress cling. “They will be back today, I’m sure of it.”

Uhtred meets her eyes, smiles and nods. “Of course,” he says.

Finan bows his head against the whipping rains. Bebbanburg is in sight and it couldn’t come soon enough. The rain had set upon them almost as soon as they got into the open field. It was not a long ride, but it was long enough to soak Finan through to the bone. Cursing, he waves his arm over his head at the ramparts as they approach the gate. Even in the dim light of evening and through the pouring rain, Finan thinks he can see Sihtric at the gate post. 

Whoever is there, recognizes them quickly, thankfully, and Finan feels a great relief to cross through the gates of his home once more. He is confident in his skills as a warrior, but he knows that every time he leaves the fortress, it could be his last. Greater warriors than he have fallen to chance. The thought plagues him as he rides into the courtyard. Sihtric runs down the stairs to greet him and raises a hand in greeting. They move under the gatehouse overhang after the stable hand takes Finan’s horse.

Relief sweeps through Finan. If something had happened to Uhtred or Aethelstan, there is no way Sihtric would be so sprightly.

“It’s good to see you, old friend.” They grasp each other’s shoulders tightly and Finan returns Sihtric’s grin. “We were starting to think you’d gotten lost out there.”

Gesturing at the wagon as it rumbles through the gates, Finan laughs mockingly and says, “It may have taken an extra day, but we’ve come back _significantly_ richer.” Sihtric rolls his eyes and greets Osferth when he comes to stand next to them.

“Well, while you two were off skipping together, we were out there cleaning up your mess.”

Osferth brightens and widens his eyes at Finan. “I told you they’d see them!” Finan scoffs and Sihtric shrugs, looking a little sheepish.

“We didn’t actually. I was out hunting with Aethelstan and Uhtred. We, uh, more or less ran into them.” Both Osferth and Finan frown.

“Ran into them? There were at least eight men.” Osferth says, pretending to inspect Sihtric. “And you came out in one piece?” Sihtric pushes him away playfully, but Finan can see hesitation on the Dane’s face when he glances at Finan. Before he has a chance to ask, Finan spots Aethelstan. The young man sees Finan and even from across the courtyard, through the drilling rain, Finan can see the nervousness on his face. Aethelstan raises a hand and waves, but then retreats the way he came.

Finan narrows his eyes. “What was that about?” He turns to Sihtric and the other man looks unsettled.

“There was a bit of trouble.”

\-----

Finan strides through the hallway breathing out deeply through his nose.

_Everything is fine. Sihtric said everything is fine._

Still, he would feel better once he set eyes on Uhtred for himself and then he would deal with Aethelstan. Finan knows much of the anger he feels towards the young man is worry over his wellbeing, but he still thinks it is best if he waits before confronting his adopted son. Eadith is leaving Uhtred’s room when Finan rounds the last corner and the smile she gives him compels him to answer in kind.

“Finan.” Love and relief in nearly equal measure, Finan takes her into his arms immediately. Despite his wet, muddy clothes, she returns his embrace at once. Pressing his face into her hair and taking a deep breath, Finan thanks God for another safe return.

“I missed you,” he says, “Osferth just doesn’t smell the same.” She pulls back, laughing, but Finan is surprised to see her eyes watery. Sobering, he holds her face in his hands. “Ah, come on, you’ve heard me tell worse jokes than that,” he says gently.

“Most definitely.” Rolling her eyes, Eadith chuckles, but he can see she’s exhausted. She grabs his hand though and turns to lead him back the way she came. “Come on, he’s sleeping now, but he’ll be so pleased to see you when he’s up.” Eadith smiles at him slyly over her shoulder. “I would dare say he’s been worried about you.”

Secretly pleased, Finan huffs and says, “Worried about me? That mad bastard has scared me shitless more times than I care to count. We were only a day overdue.”

“Two days,” Eadith says, stopping in front of Uhtred’s door. “And he’s been stuck in bed for nearly as long as you’ve been gone, which went over well, as you can imagine.” Not bothering to suppress his grin, Finan nods knowingly.

“You poor woman.” Smiling, Eadith puts her hand on the small of Finan’s back.

“Go in, I’ll bring you some warm water and dry clothes.” With one hand on the door, Finan raises the other to her face. His thumb strokes her cheek gently.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” she says, covering his hand with hers.

\----

Finan pushes the door open as quietly as he can. The fire roars and he drapes his cloak over a nearby chair where it drips on the floor as he looks towards the bed. Uhtred’s bedchamber is the largest of the living quarters and his bed sits against the far wall between the shuttered windows. Two chairs sit in front of the fireplace to the left and Finan can see Eadith’s basket of sewing beside the nearest to the bed. Fondness warms Finan’s heart for a moment. There are dozens of reasons he loves his wife, but her care for others is primary among them. Despite not having known much love and care in her own life, Eadith is always looking outwards to help others.

Uhtred lays on what Finan guesses is his uninjured side with the blankets pulled nearly to his chin. He appears to be resting peacefully, but Finan is reluctant to move away from the bedside. Relief is all the Irishman can feel. Overcome by the other possible outcomes, Finan rubs a shaking hand over his mouth.

When Eadith returns with a large bowl of warm water and some food, Finan is sitting before the fire wearing only his breeches. He’s leaning forward on his elbows letting the warmth from the flames wash over his tired, sore body. Eadith sets the bowl and the tray down on the square table positioned between the two chairs. Finan leans back and she stands between his legs. He tilts his head and closes his eyes as she runs her hands up his arms and along his back and shoulders. Taking one of her hands in his, Finan whispers, “Stay.”

“I wish I could,” she whispers back, “but I’ve spent far too many hours in this room the past few days. Duty calls.” Finan heaves a big sigh.

“Okay,” he says, running his hands down her legs and gathering her skirts in his fists. “Just a quick one then.” She swats his shoulder and he grins up at her. Eadith’s smile is full of affection as she bends down to brush her lips against his, but she straightens quickly. Giving him a knowing smile, Eadith steps away and he lets her skirts go slowly.

“I’ll be back in a little while.” She breathes out through her nose. “You will speak to Aethelstan tonight?” Finan looks away.

“Tomorrow will be better,” is all he says. He looks over at her seriously and she nods. With one last, small smile, she shuts the door softly behind her.

Finan’s smile fades as she leaves. Taking a swallow of ale, Finan ponders what he will say to Aethelstan. They have all done foolish things in battle, but the possibility of losing three of the men he is close to has shaken him. If Finan and his men had been faster hunting the remaining thieves, this could have been avoided. Swallowing the rest of the ale, he grabs the cloth from the bowl of cooling water to distract himself.

It feels good to scrub away at least some of the dirt as he wipes his face and neck. He’d have to bathe properly at home, it wouldn’t do for him to hop in the tub in Uhtred’s rooms. The people of Bebbanburg are surprisingly tolerant, for Finan is certain a fair amount of them suspect _something_ , but he has no interest in pushing them. Although it would be within reasonable behaviour for Uhtred to happen to be visiting with Eadith while Finan bathes in the privacy of his own walls. The thought makes Finan grin as he dips the cloth back into the greying water.

“What are you smiling about?” Uhtred’s amused voice comes the bed and Finan drops his cloth into the bowl, splashing his boots.

“Good God, Uhtred!” His lord smiles and Finan laughs breathlessly at himself. “I’ll owe you for that one.” Uhtred’s laughing too, but it comes with a grimace as his hand moves to his side. The sight sobers Finan quickly enough. He gets up and moves over to Uhtred’s injured side. Kneeling beside the bed, Finan lifts back the blanket to look at the bandage. However, Uhtred grabs Finan’s wrist.

“It’s a lot of fuss over nothing,” He insists, looking intently into Finan’s eyes. “I am fine.” Annoyance furrows Finan’s brow. He brings his free hand up quickly as though he’s going to poke Uhtred’s side. The Dane shifts away instinctively and lets out an involuntary grunt. “That wasn’t very nice,” he mutters through clenched teeth.

Finan shrugs, unsmiling. “Don’t be an arseling then. Show me.” For a moment, Finan thinks Uhtred is going to refuse again, but his lord capitulates. Sitting up straight, Uhtred lifts the blanket back and Finan breathes out slowly. Pulling back the bandage, Finan can see where the blade first struck against Uhtred’s hip before it was pulled up towards his ribs. “An inch or two deeper-“ Finan starts.

“But it wasn’t.” Over a dozen years by Uhtred’s side has taught Finan a great deal about the Northern Lord and while Uhtred can tolerate weakness in others and seek to protect them, he despises it in himself. Swallowing hard, Finan places his hand over the one still grips his wrist. Turning his captured hand, so he can hold Uhtred’s between his, Finan presses his lips to Uhtred’s knuckles and meets his gaze.

The tension in Uhtred’s body lessens. He closes his eyes for a moment and when he opens them again, he flashes his half smile at the Irishman.

“I am a terrible patient,” he admits ruefully.

“Oh yes,” Finan confirms, failing to suppress his grin.

Uhtred gives a big sigh and rolls his eyes. Then, fixing Finan with his direct stare, he says, “Do you not kiss invalids?”

Still smiling, Finan leans forward. “I’m sorry you have to ask.” He moves up to the edge of the bed and sits close enough to Uhtred for their hips to touch, so the other man doesn’t have to sit forward. Wrapping a hand behind Uhtred’s neck, Finan drags the tip of his nose lightly across Uhtred’s cheek. Raising his own hand, Uhtred threads his fingers through Finan’s hair and presses the Irishman’s forehead to his. They remain like this for a moment, listening to each other breathe before Finan shifts and kisses the corner of Uhtred’s mouth.

Immediately, Uhtred turns into Finan’s mouth and kisses him hungrily. The press of their mouths only satisfies Uhtred for a moment before he’s trying to drag Finan closer, but the Irishman resists, reluctantly. Uhtred breaks the kiss with a frustrated exhalation.

“Finan,” he starts, breathlessly, but Finan leans back with one hand still around Uhtred’s neck and the other resting against his chest. Trying to slow his breathing, Finan runs his fingers lightly across Uhtred’s skin tracing the muscles over his heart.

“I know,” Finan responds, voice hoarse with desire. “But best to not get too carried away.” He swallows and wills himself to move back. Thankfully he’s saved the effort when there is a knock at the door. Uhtred frowns as Finan stands. He remembers to grab the clean tunic Eadith brought and tugs it over his head before he opens the wooden door.

Gwen and two of her helpers stand in doorway with buckets of water. The two younger women smile shyly at Finan and Gwen greets him warmly.

“Lady Eadith thought Lord Uhtred may be interested in bath.”

_God bless her heart._

Finan grins and whispers conspiratorially to them, “He certainly needs one.” He winks at them as the girls giggle and moves aside for them to fill the tub. They greet their lord respectfully and Uhtred gives them thanks. Gwen is the last to leave and she returns the Irishman’s wink. Finan lets out an abrupt, surprised bout of laughter. The head of the kitchen had been a wonderful friend to Eadith but is normally so reserved. Even though Finan knows they must live privately, it gives him comfort to know that at least some of the people they are close to understand and are supportive in their own way. 

Turning back to Uhtred, Finan spreads his hands wide. “Surely you can’t complain about this turn of events?”

Chuckling, Uhtred responds, “No, I suppose not.” Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Uhtred lets out a deep breath as he goes to stand and Finan is there in an instant.

“Stubborn bastard,” Finan mutters as he wraps his arm around his lord. Uhtred only grunts in reply and out of the corner of his eye, Finan can see his lord’s face is tight with pain. Anger coils in Finan’s gut and he thinks how he would strike all those thieves down twice over if they were standing in front of them. Uhtred makes it to the tub with little difficulty, but it’s clear he’s still days away from a full recovery.

They stop next to the tub and Uhtred keeps his arm on Finan’s shoulder as the other man works with the ties on Uhtred’s trousers. The pain seems to have cooled the Dane’s passion a little and Finan is grateful for the distraction.

“What is that look?” Uhtred asks quietly. Finan keeps his eyes on the task at hand as he answers.

“Relief, of a sorts, lord. Not sure how long my willpower was going to last laying beside you.”

“And this is easier?” Uhtred rumbles amused, leaning in to brush lips his lips along Finan’s jaw. His pants slacken around his hips and Uhtred steps out of them into Finan, bringing up his other hand to keep the Irishman in the circle of his arms. At the press of Uhtred’s naked body against his clothed one, Finan’s breath leaves him in a shudder. One of his hands is still caught between their bodies and Finan inches it down to palm Uhtred’s growing member. The other he slides around the Dane’s body to squeeze the warm, firm flesh of his arse. Humming, his approval, Uhtred nips at Finan’s bottom lip. “I suppose in my delicate condition you’re not as likely to lay me down on the floor to fuck me.” 

The combination of his words and the richness of Uhtred’s voice nearly undoes Finan right there. He releases Uhtred’s rear to drag his lord back into a mouth-bruising kiss. Uhtred laughs lowly into his mouth, but the sound is strangled as Finan wraps his hand firmly around Uhtred’s member and starts a steady rhythm. Memories crowd his mind’s eye of covering Uhtred’s body with his own and sinking into his lord’s welcoming flesh, making Finan’s cock swell almost painfully against the laces of his breeches. He speeds up as Uhtred moans and presses open mouth kisses along Finan’s neck. The Dane reaches for Finan’s laces, but he brushes Uhtred’s hands away. “Come for me,” he murmurs and Uhtred does.

It takes an incredible effort for the Irishman force himself to withdraw, but Uhtred needs to heal more than he needs to pleasure Finan. Breathing heavily, Finan steps away to clean his hand and create space between them. The sight of Uhtred, lips red and swollen, darkened eyes still hungry, is one Finan stores in the deepest parts of his mind, invulnerable to the passage of time.

Clearing his throat, Finan gestures to the tub. “Lord,” he rasps, “before it gets too cold.” Still breathing heavily, Uhtred looks as though he is going to pursue his lover, but he settles for holding out a hand.

“Care to join me?” Uhtred asks, smirking and gesturing to the small wooden tub. The joke cuts through the tension slightly and Finan laughs ruefully.

“Get your ass in there,” he says fondly, taking hold of Uhtred’s hand to hold him steady as he steps over with his injured side.

“Worth a try,” Uhtred says lightly, but heat simmers in his eyes still and Finan takes a deep breath before hooking the stool with his foot. He drags it to the tub’s side and grabs a cloth before sitting down. The women had only brought enough water to fill to tub to half to keep Uhtred’s bandages out of the water. With a barely discernable groan, Uhtred uses his hands on either side of the tub’s rim to lower himself backward. Finan scans his face for pain as he moves before dipping the cloth into the water. Despite being next to the fire, the water has cooled substantially and Finan tsks at his lord.

“If you hadn’t been fooling around, the water would still be warm.” Finan teases gently.

“I’ve had worse,” Uhtred replies absently, closing his eyes. Regardless of Uhtred’s bravado, Finan feels a prick of worry at his lover’s obvious discomfort and exhaustion. Once again glad for the distraction of the bath, Finan focuses on helping Uhtred wash away the grime from his days in bed. Water drips down Uhtred’s chest as Finan runs the wet cloth across his collarbone and the Irishman’s eyes roam slowly over Uhtred’s face. Taking in the complete trust in Uhtred’s posture, Finan’s chest tightens with love and affection until he nearly cannot breathe and again, he sends his thanks to Uhtred’s Gods and his own. Eadith is the great love of his life, but Uhtred has been Finan’s home since the horror of the slave ship. It is their fate to live and die together. Of that, Finan is certain.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all so much for reading this series! The support and feedback has been much appreciated. 
> 
> Apologies for any errors. 
> 
> Cheers!


End file.
